Summary: McGonagall-St Mungo's fic. Includes Umbridge confrontation. Mildly, ok majorly, ADMM. Not too angsty, mostly drama, I think.
Disclaimer: I have no rights to Harry Potter. This story is written merely for recreational purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. Also, parts of this are somewhat cliché. Ye be warned
Minerva shuddered within her restraints and shivered uncontrollably, with tears streaming unheeded down her face. The nightmares and the hallucinations would not stop. Sometimes she saw Voldemort in the room with her and felt him hurting her, Crucios and other things. Sometimes she was in Hogwarts and saw her students dying, or Albus. Sometimes her students or friends were doing the torturing. Merlin, maybe she was crazy. It hurt so badly and felt so bloody real. Clever of Dolores, How was she or anyone else supposed to tell the results of the potion from the truth? Minerva knew she had been screaming and that she was reacting to things that were not there, but she was helpless to stop herself. She saw the shimmering image of a Death Eater shouting a curse. Merlin, it burned. She strained against the straps and shrieked, knowing now one would come. She saw her skin begin to smoke and peel as the death eater climbed onto her and began to punch and slap her.
Abruptly, the Death Eater vision wavered as disappeared, leaving the room clear and Minerva's mind comparatively lucid. She saw Umbridge walk across the room and stand over her. The toad reached down toward her restraints…
"No matter what you do, I'm not helping you, Dolores." She managed, praying that Dolores would let her go, but refusing to beg. Merlin help me if she's here to increase the dose, Minerva thought, but she will never force me to change sides.
"Minerva. Minerva, it's me." She saw Dolores' form waver and resolve into the image of Albus Dumbledore. She hoped this was not another drug-induced hallucination. She hoped it with all her heart.
"Albus?" She asked weakly, trying and failing to raise her head. The ceiling and the floor span and changed places, turning pink, then blue, then green.
He was standing up and glaring around in one of his famous cold furies. "What in Merlin's name" Albus screamed, "Have you been doing to her? She should be healed by now, not bloody worse!" The sparkle was gone from his eyes. She did not remember him this angry since the last time they had faced Voldemort together. Even knowing the anger was directed to help her and not at her, it was a terrifying thing to watch. Or it would have been, it the world had not been spinning and changing colors faster than you could say Quidditch. Albus picked up the list of prescribed potions from the nightstand and his eyes grew even more murderous as he read it.
'I'm sorry sir," The healer said nervously, "The ministry left orders."
"And I'm countermanding them." He shouted waving his arms and looking positively murderous, "Get the bloody IV out of her arm and the antidotes into her or you will regret it to your dying day!"
As the healer scrambled to right matters, Albus banished the restraints with a wave of his wand and sat on the bed, gently pulling Minerva into his lap. He tenderly placed a hand on her forehead, and she felt healing energy rush into her. The healer glanced at them and ran out of the room as if pursued.
"You'll be fine soon, my love" He whispered, "By tomorrow, now that they're doing this right. The burns are healed, so as soon as the chemicals get out of the bloodstream…" He trailed off.
"I'm already better." She answered weakly, "Now that you're here. Did we win?"
He frowned, "Temporarily and at great cost, but now the world knows that Voldemort has returned. Sirius Black is dead, and Harry distrusts me, but the truth is finally heard."
"I'm sorry." Minerva said gently.
"Thank you." Albus answered meaningfully. They said nothing for a moment, only gently holding hands and comforting each other. They both knew what the battle, meant, and they knew they would discuss it later, in Order meetings and alone, but for now, it would have to wait.
"And Dolores Umbridge?" Minerva questioned softly.
"Recovering from a centaur attack, brought on by a run of stupidity unusual even for her." Replied Albus with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
"I hope they broke every bone in her incompetent little reptilian body." Minerva said caustically.
"Close" Albus answered, with one of his trademark winks.."
"Well," Minerva responded vindictively, "That makes me feel a little better. I would love to watch while Poppy force-feeds her skel-grow. Turnabout is fair, after all." She paused, and just for a moment enjoyed the presence of her husband, a commodity too rare in wartime. Still, there were always duties, and it fell to her to remind her dear Albus of his. "You should get back to the school."
"You need me, Minerva." He said lovingly as he stroked her hair.
"No," She answered warmly, "Hogwarts needs you."
Albus finally answered, "If you're not back and healthy by the end-of-year feast. I'm coming back here and hexing the entire hospital staff."
"You do that Albus Dumbledore," Minerva replied, "Now get back to work and let me sleep." She tried to be firm, but it was so hard when all she really wanted was for him to stay with her.
"May I at least stay with you until you're asleep?" Albus begged, making the sort of puppy dog eyes Minerva was never able to properly resist, and transferring another dose of healing energy into her.
"Do you promise to go straight back to the school after and not neglect your duty?" Minerva asked in her teacher's voice, fixing him with a stern cat-eyed stare. It did not work of course. None of her teacher's tricks ever worked on Albus.
"I solemnly swear that I will do my duty fair lady." Albus replied grandiosely, with a wide sweep of his arms. The exaggerated gesture reminded Minerva a little of the Weasley twins, and made her smile. Truly, that portable swamp trick had been utter genius, anything to torment that horrible woman.
"Then you have my permission." She replied, leaning into him with her eyes already closing.
She breathed in his scent, a smell of comfort and of safety. His hand gently stroked her hair as she allowed herself to truly rest. Finally, she did not have to struggle and fight. For just this one moment, she was not a soldier. She was a woman falling asleep in the arms of her beloved husband. Finally, her sleep was not fraught with dreams and hallucinations. It was like a pleasant nap on a patch of sun in her Animagus form, restful, uncomplicated, and truly sweet.
It took only a moment for Minerva McGonagall to fall asleep. She did not feel her husband gently set her down on the bed and pull the blankets around her shoulders. She was not aware of the feather light kiss he planted on her forehead or the sweet way he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. She did not hear him whisper,
"I love you, my Minerva," as he glanced behind him, one last time before leaving the ward to return to his school and his war. No, Minerva did not observe any of those things, but she did not have to. She knew, and she would always know, that she was loved
The End
